passed the second night of his
uneven flight in profound slumber, being exhausted by the strain and
excitement he had undergone. When he awoke at daybreak, he saw, to his
profound delight, that he was approaching land.

The rising sun found him passing over a big city, which he knew to be
Boston.

He did not stop. The machine was so little to be depended upon that he
dared make no halt. But he was obliged to alter the direction from
northwest to west, and the result of this slight change was so great a
reduction in speed that it was mid-day before he saw beneath him the
familiar village in which he lived.

Carefully marking the location of his father's house, he came to a stop
directly over it, and a few moments later he managed to land upon the
exact spot in the back yard whence he had taken his first successful
flight.

7. The Demon Becomes Angry

When Rob had been hugged and kissed by his mother and sisters, and even
Mr. Joslyn had embraced him warmly, he gave them a brief account of his
adventures. The story was received with many doubtful looks and much
grave shaking of heads, as was quite natural under the circumstances.

"I hope, my dear son," said the father, "that you have now passed
through enough dangers to last you a lifetime, so that hereafter you
will be contented to remain at home."

"Oh, Robert!" cried his mother, with tears in her loving eyes, "you
don't know how we've all worried about you for the past week!"

"A week?" asked Rob, with surprise.

"Yes; it's a week to-morrow morning since you flew into the air and
disappeared."

"Then," said the boy, thoughtfully, "I've reached home just in time."

"In time for what?" she asked.

But he did not answer that question. He was thinking of the Demon, and
that on the afternoon of this very day he might expect the wise and
splendid genius to visit him a second time.

At luncheon, although he did not feel hungry, he joined the family at
the table and pleased his mother by eating as heartily as of old. He
was surprised to find how good the food tasted, and to realize what a
pleasure it is to gratify one's sense of taste. The tablets were all
right for a journey, he thought, but if he always ate them he would be
sure to miss a great deal of enjoyment, since there was no taste to
them at all.

At four o'clock he went to his workshop and unlocked the door.
Everything was exactly as he had left it, and he looked at his simple
elect